Jessica Martin : Photographer

Ideas for Displaying a Sand Collection

5/10/2023

Below I've compiled links to everything I use. I like test tubes and acrylic drawers as my primary displays, but I know others who use miniature glass bottles with cork tops, or square acrylic boxes, or film canisters, or circular bead containers, or small jars . . . the possibilities are endless!

72" Loring Ladder bookcase

5 ml borosilicate test tubes

10 ml borosilicate test tubes

15 ml borosilicate test tubes

10 ml glass bottle with cork top

1 dram glass vials

Acrylic 3-drawer case. These are only sold in Daiso stores, not online. However, you can find similar things by searching online for acrylic cosmetic drawers. Also search for pen/marker organizers, antique printer trays, shot glass displays, or spice racks. Think outside the box to find what works best for you!

Glass-front guillotine collectible case. I don't use these for sand (I use them for small fossils instead), but you could easily display many small bottles in one.

Avery 0.5" x 1.75" labels

Some other items that come in handy when collecting sands:

A microscope (I use this one; it is an excellent beginner stereo microscope)

Small funnels of various sizes

Cotton make-up pads (to clean the funnels)

Pipe cleaners (to clean the funnels)

Mesh in various gauges for sifting out large, unwanted particles (searching for "gold panning screens" or "plastic mesh" or even wire kitchen colanders will work)

Small baggies in several sizes

Shallow storage containers (like this one) for storing extra baggies of sand

Measuring cup in 5 ml - 30 ml (like a liquid medicine measuring cup)

Brunton grain size card

A stamp magnifier or jeweler's loupe

Tweezers

Aluminum foil or large sheets of paper; use this to cover the table when transferring sand from baggie to jar. This way, if you spill some, you can fold the paper and pour it back into the bag/bottle.

How to Send Sands

4/26/2023

If you've never mailed sands before, there are a lot of ways to do it. Here are a few tips I've learned both from experience and from other arenophiles.

Include the location of where the sand was collected. GPS coordinates are ideal, however just the nearest town or county is good enough!

Be sure your sample is as dry and clean as possible. To dry, lay out the sand on a cookie sheet or tray for several days or longer. Many countries regulate sediments because they can contain microbes or invasive plant matter; depending on how dirty your sample is, you may want to take any/all of the precautions:

pick out as much organic material as possible;
soak in an ethanol (rubbing alcohol) bath;
heat treat in an oven;
submerge in water and sift off floating debris.

Be sure to identify each bag/vial. Many people put all the information on a sticker and attach it to the bags. I put a very general location label on the bag and then include a paper with more detailed information on each. Sometimes stickers can fall off or labels written in marker rub off, so another option is to place a slip of paper in the bag with each sample.

Pack securely. There are many different ways to do this. The most common is to seal the baggies and tape them flattened on a piece of stiff paper or cardboard and mail in an envelope. I prefer to tape the top of each baggie and then put 2-3 bagged samples each in a larger bag (for extra safety). I usually mail in a box, using newspaper or other packing materials to thoroughly cushion the samples as they tend to slide around and break open otherwise.

For international customs forms, it is important to not use the terms "sand", "sediment", or "soil" as it generally arouses suspicion of carrying biologic/microbial pests in them, even if you've disinfected the sample. Instead, label it something like "clean geologic samples for decoration" or "clean, free geologic specimen for study". As a further precautionary measure, I also often include a note within the package in both English and the receiving country's language indicating how the sample has been sanitized and that it is a gift for education or decoration only, just in case it is opened by customs.

Intertidal Coral Gravel (Ireland)

1/9/2023

Intertidal coral gravel from Mannin Bay (Ireland), where it’s known locally as “maerl”. Often referred to as a biogenic coral sand, it's primarily comprised of Rhodophyta (red algae), which is not a coral at all. The grain sizes are also frequently larger than 2mm, classifying this as a gravel rather than a sand. Besides the Rhodophyta, several gastropods can be seen in this image as well.

This sampled provided by RHCM.
References: www.sandatlas.org/maerl-from-ireland